Naga Munchetty has said she found it difficult to open up about her chronic health condition while working at the BBC because of fears she would be seen as “weak”.
The BBC Breakfast presenter, 50, revealed she endured agonising symptoms including heavy bleeding, vomiting, fainting and severe pain every two and a half weeks for more than three decades before finally being diagnosed with adenomyosis in 2022.
Adenomyosis occurs when the lining of the womb grows into the muscular wall, causing debilitating pain and heavy periods. It is thought to affect around one in 10 women, according to the NHS.
Speaking at a Women’s Health event at the Cheltenham Literary Festival, the former Strictly Come Dancing Star said she had declined a hysterectomy — the only known cure — because she could not afford to take six weeks off work.
“I was worried I wouldn’t be up to scratch after being off air for so long,” she explained. “Legally, if you present with a health crisis, you have to be supported. But the fact is I’m a journalist in a highly competitive environment… being seen to be weak is a concern.”
Before her diagnosis, Munchetty underwent sterilisation in 2019 in a bid to manage her symptoms, after a contraceptive coil fitted two years earlier left her “screaming in agony”. She has previously said the procedure was an easy decision, as she and her husband, TV director James Haggar, did not want children.
Reflecting on her experiences, Munchetty told the audience: “Having a chronic health condition in a competitive industry is not easy. I don’t know the answer in terms of how employers should be better because I just don’t think they get it. I was told, ‘It’ll get better when you have a baby’ – as if that’s a solution. I didn’t want to.”
Her comments come amid reports that the presenter has recently been placed “under review” following a complaint of bullying from a junior colleague.
The BBC said it takes all workplace conduct concerns “extremely seriously” and encourages staff to come forward.
Munchetty currently presents BBC Breakfast from Thursday to Saturday alongside Charlie Stayt.
